Wasabi flavored sorbet, powdered peanut butter, beer with nicotine and hot dogs coated with yogurt were among the most unusual new product innovations reported worldwide in 2007 by Datamonitor's Productscan Online database of new products.

Published By Datamonitor

A recent consumer survey has shown that celebrity endorsements are one of the least trusted means of conveying product information, only just faring better than door-dropped leaflets. This is bad news for advertising agencies, which have been devoting increased energy to signing up everyone from bona fide A-list stars to Z-list reality show contestants to help sell products and services.

Published By Datamonitor

Published By Datamonitor

Packaged food and beverage markets are seeing a growing influx of new products featuring grains that were favored by civilizations thousands of years ago. According to Datamonitor's Productscan Online database of new products, new food and beverage launches featuring a short list of ancient grains, including chia, have doubled since 2005 as manufacturers jump on the latest health food band wagon.

Published By Datamonitor

Giorgio Armani denies he is considering selling his eponymous business. The question of succession comes to any fashion company closely associated with its designer, however at Armani, the creative force, Mr Armani himself, is also the business force. Having built up a global operation worth over E4.0 billion in worldwide retail sales, the question of who will succeed him becomes pressing.

Published By Datamonitor

While the US downturn has had some negative impact on Avon, the direct beauty retailer's biggest problem has been the economic instability in Argentina. With that market unlikely to recover anytime soon, Avon will need to accelerate the time-to-market of its new business initiatives if it is to maintain earnings growth this year.